Clasp-attaching machine for envelopes



' H. LEVINE CLASP ATTACHING MACHINE FOR ENVELOPES Filed Jan. 28, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ITU/rfira Hi1 eirze H. LEVINE CLASP ATTACHING MACHINE FOR ENVELOPES Filed Jan. 28, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 20, 1925.

UNITED sTrEs PATEN FHQE.

HARRY LEViENE, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO PAP R CRAFTS CORPORA- 'IION, OF NEW-YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

GLASP-ATTACHING MAGHICNE FOR nnvntorns.

Application filed January 28, 1924. Serial No. 688,973.

T 0 all whom it may concemr Be it known that I, HARRY LEVINE, a citizen of the United Statearesiding at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasp-Attaching Machines for Envelopes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clas'p or clip attaching machines for envelopes or the like, and more particularly to a machine for attaching to envelopes proi'iig-eyelet clasps or clips, the prongs of which in use are adapted to extend through perforated patches on the flaps of envelopes and clinched thereover, these perforated patches being applied to the envelopes preferably by suitable mechanism of the machine.

An object of the present invention is to provide a machine of the foregoing class having a feed channel for feeding the clasps or clips to the riveting 0r clip applying mechanism and having improved means for guiding or maintaining the clasps or clips in position with respect to the attaching or riveting mechan sm.

A further obgect 1s to provide a clasp attaching machine having improved slide mechanism shiftable relatively to the feed channel and having a rigid clip engaging member shiftable across the face of the clip into and out of position adjacent to the path of-operation of the riveting or attaching mechanism.

A further object is to provide a machine of the foregoing class having slide means for maintaining or guiding the clips in po sition with respect to the riveting mechanism and having improvedmeans for op erating said slide means.

A further object is to provide a clasp attaching machine having rotatable escapement means for controlling the feed of the clips or clasps and having improved means for operating the same.

Other objects of this invention. will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several views, and wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation illustrating a part of the machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation illustrating certain operating parts Fig. 3' is a fragmentary front View showing the feed channel and various operating parts; Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the clip engaging slide; Fig. 5 is a detail view of the clip stop member carried at the lower end of the feed channel; Fig. 6 is a detail view of a pronged eyelet clasp or clip, and Fig. 7 a View showing an envelope with a pronged eyeletclasp applied thereto.

Before explaining in detail the present improvement and mode of operation thereof, I desire to have it understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments, and that the phrase- 010g; which I employ is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring tothe drawings wherein a present preferred form of my invention is illustrated, it will be seen that the machine comprises a suitable bed or supporting base 9. Extending from the bed 9 of the machine is a standard or support 10 adapted to adjustably support a vertically extending feed channel 11 having at the upper end thereof a suitable hopper 12. In the prescnt instance, a pair of vertically extending plates 13 and 14 are bolted to the front face of the feed channel 11, these plates being spaced to provide thercbetween a vertically extending" guide channel 15 through which the pronged eyelet clasps or clips travel from the hopper 12 to the riveting mechanism. The plates 13 and 1-1 terminate above the base of the feed channel, and across the bottom of these plates is bolted a clip stop u'icmber 17 having centrally thereof a notch or recess 18 alined with the channel 15, and shaped to permit one of the tapered prongs of each clip to fit thereinto and be thus held in proper position in the path of operation of the riveting mechanism.

The feed channel at the rear thereof is provided with a laterally extending arm 19 having an elongated guide slot 20. The upper end of the standard or support 10 is provided with a transverse guideway 21 within which is housed the bracket arm 19. The standard 10 is tapped to receive a set screw 22 which extends through the guide slot 20, and it will be seen that by loosening the set screw the feed channel may be adjusted relatively to the standard 10 and by tightening the screw maintained in any desired adjusted position.

The attaching or riveting mechanism. comprises the usual punch 23 having a bearing 24 in the lower end of the feed channel 10 provided with a hole through which the punch operates. The riveting punch 23 is adapted to cooperate with a suitable anvil or die member 26 supported by a bracket arm 25, the latter being preferably supported from the feed channel in a manner similar to that shown in my Patent No. 1,495,753 for clasp attaching machine for envelopes and the like, granted May 27, 1924. The machine is provided with a cam shaft 27 having suitable means (not shown) for operating the punch 23 and also for operating the patch die mecha nism, a part of which is shown at 28. A detailed description of the operating mechanism for the riveting punch is not deemed necessary herein, since the same may have the same construction as that shown in my patent above referred to.

At the front face of the feed channel and at one side of the guide channel 15 is 10- rated an escapenient wheel or disk 29. The wheel or disk 29 is provided on the periphery thereof with a series of teeth or projeotions 30, and th wheel is secured to the front end of a shaft 31 extending through the feed channel and journaled therein. It will be noted that the face of the disk or wheel 29 is located against or in uxtaposition to the front face of the feed channel, and that the shaft 31 and escapement wheel are so positioned that only the teeth 30 thereof will project beyond the edge of the guide channel 15. Thus, as shown in Fig. 3 when on 'tooth 30 of the escapement wheel or disk projects across the face of the channel 15, this tooth will extend beneath the projecting part 16 of the lower clip 16 of the column of clips and will support the column. Upon rotation of the escapement wheel or disk 29, the tooth 30"" will travel downwardly, and thus releasing the lower eiip 16 of the column and permitting itto pass through the lower part of the channel .15 until the prong thereof is seated in the notch 18 of the clip stop 17. At the same time this rotation of the scapement wheel 29 will bring the next adjacent tooth 30 into position beneath the clip 16* thus arresting the downward feed of the column of clips. The shaft 31 extends through the feed channel and secured to the rear end thereof against the rear face of the feed channel is a ratchet whee/1'32. A pawl 33 cooperates with the ratchet wheel and is held in, engagementwith the teeth thereof by means of a spring 3 1 secured to the pawl and to a rocker arm 35, the pawl 33 being pivoted to this rocker arm. Therocker arm is pivoted to the shaft 31 and at its rear end is provided with a projecting pin 36 adapted to travel in a slot 37 formed in the front arm of abell crank lever 38, the latter being pivoted at 39 to the standard 10. The other arm of the bell crank lever is provided with a cam roller 40 in position to be en gaged by a cam 41 carried by the cam shaft 27. The am roller l0 is held in engagement with the cam by means of a tension spring e3 secured to the outer arm of the bell crank lever and also secured to a pin la carried by the standard 10.

As each clip or clasp is released by the cscapeinent wheel 29 it will fall. into the notch 1.8 of the clip stop member 17. In order to guide and maintain the clip in position for riveting, a reciprocating guide is provided which operates in front of the clip and guides the clip against falling out of the channel .15 upon reaching the notch 18 in the clip stop 17. This guide member con prises a. slide 15 carried at one side of the feed channel 11, and having a pair of guide slots 46 through which extend guide screws sl-T secured to the feed channel. The upper end of the slide 4-5 is flared outwardly or offset at 4L8 to which part is connected one end of a tension spring 49, the upper end of the spring being attached to a pin 50 secured to the feed channel. At its lower end the slide is offset at 51 and provided with a guide portion 51 extonding at right angles thereto. This guide 51 is of such lengthas to project across the channel 15 and to lightly engage th projecting part 16 of each clip. The offset part 48 of the slides?) projects laterally beyond the rear of the feed channel and extends into the bifurcated end 52 of a cam lever This lever is pivoted at 54k to the standard 10 and is provided at its rear end with a cam roller 55 adapted to engage the cam t1. In operation it will be understood that upon rotation of the cam shaft 2'? thcam- -11 during its revolution will successively lift the cam rollers 10 and When the roller 10 is raised against the tension o fspring 13 the front end of the lever will be (lt-JPTBSSBCl, thus swinging the arm 35 downwardly and retracting the pawl 33 so as'to engage a tooth of the ratchet wheel as the cam a1 leaves the roller 40 the spring 43 will draw the rear rm of the lever 38 downwardly, hus swinging the a "in 35 upwardly and causing the pawl to rotate the ratchet wheel one step. rotate the escapement wheel or disk 29 one step thereby causing the lower tooth 30 to release the lower clip 1'5 of the column of clips. :it this time the cam 11 will engage the roller 55 thereby swinging the cam lever 53 and shifting the slide tli'downwardly. 'lhus the guide arm: 51 of the slide will travel downwardly over the face of the This will guide channel simultaneously as the lower clip. descends from the escapement wheel to the notch 18 of the clip stop member 17. The camming mechanism is so timed that the guide member 51 will reach the position shown in Fig. 3 at the same time that the clip reaches the position in the notch 18 as shown in Fig. 3. The guide member 51 will thus prevent the clipfrom being dislodged from the guide channel.

During the further revolution of the cam shaft the cam 41 will leave the roller 55, whereupon spring 49 will elevate the slide 45 so as to shift the guide member 51 to a position above the clip located in the notch 18. As soon as the clip is free from the guide 51 the punch 23 is operated from th cam shaft 27 so as to rivet the clip to the envelope 56, the punch operating in cooperation with the anvil or die member 26.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the successive feeding of the clips in the feed channel is controlled by means of the intermittently rotatable escapement wheel or disk 29 and by means of a two-motion reciprocating slide 45, the latter having a rigid guide part 51 bridging the guide channel 15 and shiftable vertically thereover and into engagement with the face of the clip. Furthermore, it will be observed that a single cam 41 operates through the mechanism described, both the escapement wheel 29 and the two-motion slide 45, so that by positioning properly the rollers 40 and 55 and timing the cam 4C1, the slide member 51 may be operated simultaneously as a clip is released by the escapement wheel so as to maintain the clip against dislodgment when it falls against the clip stop plate 17.

It is to be understood that by describing in detail herein any particular form, structure or arrangement, it is not intended to limit the invention beyond the terms of the several claims or the requirements of the prior art.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the modes of its use, I claim:

1. In a. machine of the class described, the combination of clip applying mechanism. a guide channel for guiding the clips thereto, and a reciprocating slide having a rigid portion shiftable relatively to said guide channel and slidingly engaging a part of a clip for maintaining the same in position.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of clip applying mechanism, a guide channel for guiding the clips thereto. and a reciprocating slide having a rigid portion shiftable relatively to said guide channel and slidingly engaging an end ofthe barrel of a clip for maintainingthe same in position, and escapement means located intermediate the ends of said guide channel for successively releasing the clips.

3. In a machine of the class described the combination of clip applying mechanism, a feed channel having a vertically extending guideway terminating at the lower end thereof in a transversely extending stop member, and a reciprocating slide shiftable relatively to said feed channel for maintaining the clips in position against said stop member.

4.. In a machine of the class described the combination of clip applying mechanism, a vertically extending feed channel having a stop member at the lower end thereof, means for intermittently releasing the clips in said feed channel, and reciprocating means carried by said feed channel and having a rigid clip engaging portion for maintaining the clips in position.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a cam shaft, clip applying mechanism, a. feed channel for guiding clips thereto, a. clip engaging slide, rotatable escapement means, and a single cam carried by said camshaft for independently operating said slide and escapement means.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of clip applying mechanism. a vertical feed channel for guiding the clips thereto, a clip engaging slide carried by said feed channel, a cam shaft, a cam carried thereby, and a swinging lever controlled by said cam and connected to said slide for reciprocating the same.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of clip applying mechanism, a vertical feed channel for guiding the clips thereto, a clip engaging slide carried by said feed channel, a cam shaft, a: cam carried thereby, and means controlled by said cam and connected tosaid slide for reciprocating the same, said slide having a projecting guide member in'in'iovably connected thereto and shiftable over the face of said feed channel.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of clasp attaching means. a feed channel, a pair of means for controlling the feed of the Clasps to said attaching means. a rotary shaft, and a single cam carried thereby, and mechanism controlled thereby for independently operating bot-h of said means.

9. Ina machine of the class described, the combination of clasp attaching means. a feed channel, a pair of means for controlling the feed. of the clasps to said attachin means, a. rotary shaft, a pair of swinging members for operating said means, and a cam carried by said shaft for independently operating each of said members.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of clasp attaching means,

a feed channel for guiding the clasps thereto, and reciprocating means having a rigid guide member engageable with an end face of a clasp and slidable into and out of the path of operation of said attaching means for successively guiding the clasps.

11. In machine of the class described the combination of a rotary shaft, clip applying mechanism, a feed channel for guiding clips thereto, rotatable escapement means for controlling the feed of the clips, means for rotating the same, aclip engaging slide, means for reciprocating the slide, and a. single cam carried by said shaft for operating both of said means.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination of clip applying-mechanism, a feed channel for guiding clips thereto, and a two-motion slide having a non-yie-ldingly mounted clip engaging part shiftable relatively to said feed channel for guiding the clips.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination of clip applying mechanism, a feed channel for guiding clips thereto, and a two-motion slide carried by said feed channel and having a non-yieldingly mounted clip engaging part shiftable relatively to said feed channel for guiding the clips.

l l. In a machine of the class described, the combination of clip applying mechanism, a vertically extending feed channel for guiding clips thereto, and a two-motion slide carried by said feed channel and having a .non-yieldingly mounted clip engaging part 'nism, a guide channel for guiding clips thereto, rotatable escapement means for succcssively releasing the clips in said channel, a tlip engaging guide member extending over the face of said guide channel, and means for reciprocating said guide member and channel one relatively to the other to cause said guide member to slidingly travel over an end face of a clip in clip applying position.

17. In a machine of the class described, the combination of clip applying mechanism, a vertical guide channel for guiding clips thereto, a slide having a rigid clip engaging guide member extending .over the face of said guide channel, and means for reciprocating said slide and: channel one relatively to the other to cause said guide member to slidingly travel over an end face of a clip in clip applyingposition. 18. .Ina machine of the class described, the combination of clip applying mechanism, a guide channel for guiding clips thereto, a clip engaging guide member extending over the face of said guide chan nel, and camining mechanism for imparting a two-motion reciprocation to said guide member to cause said guide member to slidingly travel over an'end face of a. clip in clip applying position.

19. In a machine of the class described, the combination of clip applying mechanism, a feed channel having a rigid clip stop member adjacent to one end thereof, means for intermittently feeding clips in said feed channel to said stop member, and a shiftable slide having a clip'guide shift able over an end face of a clip when in position against said stop member.

20. In a machine of he class described, the tombination of clipapplying' mechanism, an upright feed channel having a guide passage for clips, an escapement Wheel supported with the face thereof parallel to the face of said feed channel and having a series of projections adapted to extend transversely in front of said guide passage, and means for rotating said Wheel to cause said projections to successively support a column of clips in said passage.

21. In a machine of the class described, the combination of clip applying mechanism, a vertical feed channel having a guide passage for clips, a shaft carried by said channel, an escapement Wheel supported upon said shaft Withthe face there of in juxtaposition to the face ofsaid feed channel and havinga series of projections adapted to extend transversely in front of said guide passage, and means for rotating said wheel to cause said projections to successively support a column of clips in said passage. 7 V

22. In a machine of the class described, the combination of clip applying mechanism, an upright feed channel having a guide passage for clips, an escapement wheel supported with the face thereof in juxtaposition to the face of said feed channel and having a series of projections adapted to extend transversely in front of said guide passage, and means for rotating said wheel to cause said projections to sue- (-essively support a column of clips in said passage, said means comprising a shaft sup; ported by said feed channel.

23. In a machine of the class described, the combination of clip applying mechanism, a substantially vertically extending feed channel having a guide passage for clips, an escapement wheel supported on a horizontal axis and having a series of projections adapted to extend transversely across said guide passage, means for feeding a column of clips to said escapement Wheel, and means for operating said Wheel to cause said projections to successively release the clips and support the column of clips.

24:. In a machine of. the class described, the combination of a supporting base, a standard supported thereby, a vertical feed channel adjustably connected to said standard, clip applying mechanism, a rotatable escapement Wheel carried by said feed chan nel, a reciprocating 011p engaglng slide shiftable relatively to said feed channel, a,

rotary shaft, cam means carried thereby, means for rotating said escapement Wheel, and means for reciprocating said slide, each of said means comprising a swinging lever carried by said standard and controlled by said ramming means.

Signed at New York, N. Y., this 24th day of January, 1924.

HARRY LEVINE. 

